The Day of Reckoning
by Trisha Uchiha
Summary: After Bernadette's team accidentally creates a zombie virus in a Caltech laboratory, it quickly spreads throughout Pasadena and eventually the entire USA. Luckily, Sheldon is prepared, as always and is determined to survive it to the end with Penny.
1. Chapter 1

**Sadly I don't own The Big Bang Theory**

Penny trudged up the stairs, she was done with today. Five birthday parties with screaming toddlers and running after a few to stop a food fight from breaking out over an action figure. All she wants is peace, silence and a hot bath to relax her. She walks up the stairs to the fourth floor and is about to put her key in the lock when the door to 4A opens, revealing a frightened theoretical physicist.

Penny turns around to look across the hall when she sees Sheldon darting toward her and grabs her arm, pulling her toward his apartment.

"Sheldon, what are you doing?" She asks venomously as he closes the door behind him and locks all ten locks along with one door chain. He grips her shoulders and studies her intensely, moving his eyes down to her neck, arms and torso before looking down toward her calves.

Penny is too tired to yell and protest about his erratic behavior. She so doesn't need a psychotic rant from him now. He spins her around and checks her over once more, turning her to face him again.

"I swear, you better tell my why you're doing this or-" She stopped; looking at the relief washing over his face.

"Penny it's a relief you haven't been injured." Sheldon said finally speaking.

"If you don't tell me what's going on someone will be injured." She replied as Sheldon glared at her.

"Now is not the time for threats. On your home from work have you encountered anything out of the ordinary?"

"Umm our conversation right now."

"Please, Penny I'm serious. Think, any increase in traffic or road blockages?"

"Well there are a lot of construction signs on several roads. I had to take a few detours to get here why?"

"It's starting." He breathed, moving toward the couch and plopping into his spot.

"Sheldon I understand you much better than I did 4 years ago but you need to explain what the hell is going on."

He gestures for her to sit down beside him on the couch. She complies and Sheldon turns to face her.

"Precisely eight hours ago Bernadette and her team accidentally created a virus in their lab at Cal Tech. One of the men cut his finger through his gloves while touching said virus and was immediately infected. The transformation was completed seven hours ago and has been spreading from person to person mostly through saliva."

Penny blinked and stared at Sheldon as if he sprouted wings. "Um, so Bernadette created a virus that transforms people through kissing? Kinda like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? I don't see the need to freak out. You're acting as if an apocalypse is coming."

Sheldon looked into her eyes, blue piercing green. "It's not coming, it's already here."

Penny stared at him as he continued. "The virus killed the man within an hour."

Her eyes widened. "So he's dead?"

"Technically yes, but he's still walking. Well, what one can pass off as walking. This is essentially why incompetent minds shouldn't be working in laboratories."

"So you mean he's like a chicken with his head cut off? The nerves are still working?"

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "How can you miss the subtle hints? We've had several drills over the years regarding this matter should it ever occur."

"You have drills for everything. Look I'm tired, can you just get to the point?"

He paused before answering. "Zombies."

Penny let out a laugh, earning a glare from Sheldon. "Are you serious? This isn't a movie."

"Penny this is hardly the time for jokes and the possibility of a zombie apocalypse happening is far from the truth. Why do you think I was preparing us for one all these years?"

"I don't know. I thought you were having fun imagining it, you know like kids do."

He looked at her as if she had just slapped him in the face. "Well, now you know. I've already acquired all the supplies that we will need in order to survive. Water, non-perishable foods, battery powered radios, a generator and a couple of weapons. However it won't last long, we may need to quest for essentials sooner or later."

"Wait, you have guns in the apartment?"

"Of course I do. I'm not taking any chances with my life." Sheldon replied getting up from the couch walking toward his bedroom.

Penny sat there perfectly still, the gravity of the situation sinking in but she still wasn't convinced. She definitely would have seen them on her way back from work, this wasn't making any sense. Did Sheldon finally snap and go bat-crap crazy?

He came back with four guns, placing them on the coffee table. Penny's eyes widened. He was dead serious about this.

"Why do you have four guns? There should be five."

He looked at her. "Do you think I would trust Leonard with a real gun?"

She nodded; he would probably shoot himself accidentally. "Honey, are you sure you're not over-reacting? I haven't seen a zombie at all today."

He checked the last gun to see if it was loaded. "Consider yourself lucky, even though I don't believe in luck."

Penny stood up and walked over to the front door, unbolting the first lock, causing Sheldon to shriek. "What are you doing! You can't go out there!"

She turned to look at him. "I need a bath and clean clothes along with sleep."

He walked over to her and pressed his back to the door, blocking it. "Unacceptable. I forbid you to leave for our safety."

Penny's eyes narrowed into slits but he didn't back down. "I have already taken whatever items you may need and have put them in your suitcase while you were at work. There is no reason for you to ever go back into 4B."

"So this is my home now?"

"Correct."

"Where's the suitcase?"

"Behind the couch."

She walked over to it and unzipped it, taking out shorts and a tank top. "Alright. I'm taking a long bath and then we'll talk."

* * *

><p>Penny walked into the living room as Sheldon was scribbling formulas on his whiteboard. She glanced over at him and made her way to the window, there was nobody in sight. He really needed to be tested again or maybe he was drugged by a student that had enough of his condensation. She plopped down on the couch.<p>

"That's my spot." Sheldon said not looking away from his board.

"You're not using it."

"Irrelevant."

"I don't care."

He tore his eyes away and stared at her before capping his marker. "I haven't been able to contact Leonard, Howard, or Raj."

Penny nodded. "What about Amy and Bernadette?"

"Well since Amy was visiting Bernadette today for lunch we can assume that the two of them have already been infected. I also couldn't reach them."

She glanced over at the clock, it was already eight pm, and Leonard should have been back by now. It was very strange and out of character for him.

"So what is the plan Sheldon?"

"Given the requirements I laid out years ago we are to stay here until either one of our friends come back to the apartment. This is the designated rendezvous and they have 48 hours to show up. Either that or we may have to relocate in the event our safety is compromised or if the government doesn't offer assistance."

"Alright, then where do I sleep?"

"Either the couch or Leonard's room. Take your pick, although sleeping in his room shouldn't be a problem since you already slept there on several occasions."

"Gee thanks for thinking about my feelings."She replied with sarcasm.

"Your welcome and goodnight Penny."

She walked past him. "Goodnight Sheldon."

**Thank you for reading and please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sadly I don't own The Big Bang Theory**

Chapter 2

Penny woke up to pounding on the bedroom door. She groaned, it better not be Sheldon. Opening the door she saw that there was no one there; the knocking was coming from the front door.

'It must be Leonard.' She thought, peeking through the hole. She then let out a scream.

Sheldon bolted upright on his bed and quickly walked into the living room, seeing Penny sprawled on the floor in front of the door.

"What's wrong Penny that you have disrupted my REM sleep?"

She pointed a shaking finger toward the door and he looked through the hole. It was five zombies covered in blood staggering in the hallway, one was pounding himself into their door while the others were making their way up the stairs to the next floor.

"Good Lord they're in the building." Sheldon said, turning around and helping Penny get up off the floor.

"I-I thought y-you went insane. Sheldon you weren't making this up."

"Of course I wasn't. And I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested as I've told you countless times."

He led her toward Leonard's room, she barely had the strength to walk, it was as if her legs were made of jell-o as Sheldon sat her down on the bed.

"I also need you to refrain from screaming. Zombies have acute hearing and will gather in groups to break down our door in order to feast on our flesh."

Penny weakly nodded, laying down on the bed. He pulled the covers up to her neck.

"Sheldon, why are you so calm? Doesn't it frighten you?"

He paused at the door.

"It did when I saw one at the university today. I've been preparing or an apocalypse so my fear quickly dissipated when I realized I needed to survive."

Sheldon turned around to look at her. "Try not to think about them and go to sleep. Goodnight."

* * *

><p>Penny woke up to the sound of glass breaking and jumped out of her bed. She darted to the living room to find Sheldon calmly eating a bowl of cereal and watching Dr. Who.<p>

"Penny, what has alarmed you?"

"I heard glass breaking. I was afraid something happened to you."

He looked at her perplexed. "There was no glass breaking, at least not in here. Do not be alarmed, we are safe in the apartment for the time being."

She nodded and sat down on the couch beside him. Sheldon noticed that she was frightened; he was getting better at recognizing facial expressions over the years.

"Would you like me to get you a bowl of cereal?" He asked, earning a nod from Penny.

He came back shortly and placed the bowl in her hands. She thanked him and proceeded to eat.

"I still haven't heard anything from our friends. Perhaps they have already evacuated the city and left us behind." Sheldon said with a hint of hurt in his voice.

Penny took another spoonful as he patted her shoulder. "There, there. No need to feel upset. Sheldon's here."

She smiled and stopped herself from crying, rubbing her eyes with her free hand.

"I'm here for you too Sheldon."

* * *

><p>"Following the recent outbreak, Pasadena, California is now under quarantine however the virus has made its way to the neighboring cities. Several undead are being spotted in San Francisco at an alarming rate. Please avoid all contact with them and keep a safe distance..."<p>

Penny drowned out the rest of the woman's words on CNN but continued to watch the images of the zombies attacking people and tearing the flesh off their limbs. She couldn't look away, she needed to be strong and prepare herself in the event she were to come face to face with one out on the street.

Penny continued watching as mobs of people broke into grocery stores and pharmacies. Others were fighting over essentials as the undead descended on them in the parking lot.

Images of the zombies became ingrained in her mind as a knock on the door startled her, breaking her concentration. Penny got up and walked over to the door, peeping through the hole. It was Sheldon.

She unlocked the door and let him inside, noticing the front of his jacket was dyed red. Penny reached out to touch it but he caught her wrist. "It's alright, it's not my blood."

He let go of her wrist and took off the jacket, placing on a hook near the door. She watched as he walked over to the sink and washed his hands.

"Are you alright?" She asked, earning a nod from him.

"Did you find anyone?" Penny asked hopeful as Sheldon dried his hands with the kitchen towel, avoiding her gaze.

"Unfortunately no. I walked around a designated meeting place not far from here when I found myself surrounded by four zombies. Luckily I outran two of them but I was forced to kill the others with a piece of metal I found on the ground. I wanted to save the bullets for a real emergency. The ones I encountered had mutated and are comparably fast for the undead."

He sat down in his spot next to Penny and fixed his eyes on the screen. CNN was replaying the same footage that she had seen earlier. She remembered playing Left 4 Dead with them on their Xbox 360. The zombies were very fast in the game and if they were like that in reality…She shook the thought from her head.

"Do you think it can be stopped? The outbreak I mean." Penny asked looking over at him, he was still avoiding her gaze as the muscle in his jaw twitched.

"It's too soon to tell but I believe they will. Of course the reanimated are beyond help but the living and the freshly infected can be vaccinated."

She leaned back against the couch as Sheldon flipped the channel.

**Thank you for reading and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sadly I don't own The Big Bang Theory**

Chapter 3

A week had passed and there was no word from anyone. It was as if they vanished off the face of the Earth. Their essentials were beginning to diminish as the days went by. Sheldon hadn't left the apartment since that day after looking out the window and seeing their numbers increasing.

He began thinking of plans to get them out of the city and finding away to get to Canada where there was no trace of the virus yet. It had spread to the majority of the US and parts of South America. All flights were grounded and all modes of transportation was halted for the foreseeable future.

Penny offered to drive them as far as they were able to go but Sheldon had told her that the best course of action is to stay in Pasadena for the meantime and await assistance from the government. Leaving was a last resort in his contingency plan.

She walked around the apartment, continuously looking out the window at the chaos below. It had been days since she last saw a living human wander the streets and looked at the zombies as they staggered by. Maybe she might recognize someone and get some form of closure.

When Sheldon noticed they were running low on water he offered to go find some. Penny insisted that he take her but he declined, telling her she would be safer here in 4A. She listened and gave him a quick hug before closing the door and locking it.

It was already 30 minutes and no sign of Sheldon. She looked out the window and ran to the door, looking through the peep hole. Nothing but silence. No sign of anything moving in her line of sight either.

Penny walked back toward the fridge and opened it. Since she started living here Sheldon had refused to let her go back to her apartment to get any other belongings, including her alcohol. He insisted that they were not essential for survival and had only taken what she would need.

She groaned and shut the refrigerator door, she really wanted a drink and there was a new bottle of rum just sitting on her kitchen counter. Penny made up her mind; she was going to risk it.

Picking up her keys from the bowl she slowly opened the door and closed it behind her, looking around for any sign of zombies. She unlocked the door to her apartment and went inside, instantly potting the bottle. Penny grinned and picked it up, deciding to pick up a few DVDs as well. She needed a good chick flick to go with the alcohol.

She picked up a handful and turned around to come face to face with a zombie; Leonard Hofstadter. He wobbled toward her, his arms stretched out toward her. Penny screamed and dropped the movies along with the rum.

Backing up she reached for her baseball bat and held it in front of her as he came closer. He growled and Penny swung at his head, knocking him down to the floor. She then bolted to toward the door and smacked into Sheldon's chest. He looked at her in disappointment as he drew his gun, pointing it at Leonard's head as he slowly stood up.

She buried her face into his chest as the gunshot resonated throughout the apartment. Leonard's body fell to the floor with a loud thud as Sheldon lowered the gun.

"Penny what were you doing here?" He asked, placing both hands on her shoulders. "I told you to stay in the apartment."

She looked up at him, tears running down her face. "You knew didn't you?"

He looked back at Leonard's body, avoiding eye contact with her. Penny stepped back and stared at him. "How long have you known that he turned?"

His twitched and looked at her. "A week ago."

"What? How could you keep this from me?"

"I didn't know how to tell you!" Sheldon yelled clutching his head.

"I need you to be honest with me. Who else has turned?" She asked sternly as he looked at her.

"Remember last week when I came back covered in blood and I told you I killed two of them while I outran the other two?"

Penny slowly nodded as he continued. "Leonard and a woman were the ones I outran while the ones I killed were...Howard and Raj"

She tore her eyes away from his and stared at the floor. "How could you keep this from me?"

"I didn't know how to tell you." Sheldon's voice was softer. "Why do you think I locked myself in my room for two days straight? I felt like a monster after killing my friends."

"What about Amy and Bernadette?" She asked and he shook his head.

"I haven't encountered them yet. That's the truth."

Penny brushed past him, rum and DVDs forgotten, running into 4A as Sheldon stared at Leonard's dead body.

* * *

><p>She mourned the death of her friends and cried herself to sleep as Sheldon sat at his desk, his head hung low. He bit back tears and stood up, walking over to his board. Writing down some equations he paused and capped the marker, retreating into his room.<p>

Penny woke up several hours later and walked into the living room. She looked at the unfinished gibberish on the board and sat down in Sheldon's spot. He had saved her life and she repaid him by treating him like a murderer. Some friend she was. Penny walked to the kitchen and poured water into the kettle to make some tea.

She knocked on his door but there was no answer. Turning the lock she walked in to see Sheldon staring out the window.

"I would like to apologize to you Sheldon and thank you for saving my life."

He turned to look at her. "I'd like to apologize as well for keeping the state of our friends' condition from you. I will be completely open with you regarding any matter from now on."

She nodded and gave him the cup of tea in her hand.

"Social equilibrium?" Penny asked smiling as he looked at her in surprise.

"You still remember that phrase?"

"Of course I do. How could I forget?"

* * *

><p>Another week had passed and there was news of several cases of zombies popping up in Canada, primarily near the border. The Canadian military was stationed along the crossings and was given the order to shoot immediately on sight.<p>

They sat in silence watching the news as the lights went out and the television went black. The electricity was cut off three days ago along with the water. Now their small generator had died on them.

"Now what do we do?" Penny asked as Sheldon took the flashlight off the table next to him.

"I believe we should start packing tomorrow morning and travel to Canada. The food is running out and so is our water supply. We need to move on if we are to survive."

* * *

><p>Penny ran as a group of zombies followed her. She turned into an alleyway and bumped into Leonard.<p>

"You have to run, they're coming!" She warned breathlessly looking at him.

"It's too late for us. We're doomed." He replied and Raj, Howard, Bernadette along with Amy stumbled toward them in the distance.

She saw that they looked injured but they didn't look like zombies. They drew closer and Penny saw that their faces were stained with blood and it was dripping onto their clothes.

Leonard grabbed her wrist and she turned to face him as he dug his teeth into her arm.

Penny's eyes snapped open; her heart was racing in fear. She looked toward the window. There was a thunderstorm outside and the rain poured heavily against the window. She got up and walked to the fridge, picking up a bottle of water. Viciously gulping it down, she started choking and coughed. Penny didn't want to go back into Leonard's room even more now for fear that the nightmare might come back. She shivered slightly looking over at the couch.

Walking up to Sheldon's door, she knocked softly three times and heard him grunt.

"Come in Penny." She heard his muffled voice through the door.

Sheldon rubbed his eyes and looked at Penny standing in the door frame. "What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare. I don't want to sleep in his room. Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Sheldon yawned and glanced at the clock. It read 2:54 AM. He looked at her and saw that she was shivering; her arms were wrapped around her. His cotillion training and code of chivalry was piercing the back of his brain.

He scooted over and lifted the covers. "Alright, if you must."

She happily glided in next to him and Sheldon placed the comforter over her. The warmth washed over Penny's body as she thanked him and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

**Thank you for reading and please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sadly I don't own The Big Bang Theory**

Chapter 4

They descended down the flight of stairs with their backpacks and a few bags of essentials that haven't run out yet that Sheldon had packed for the two of them while she was still sleeping. Leaving the building she took one last glance before walking to the parking lot.

Luckily her car's windows were still intact and with very minimal damage to the exterior. Both people and zombies probably thought there was nothing of value in her cheap car and left it alone. She couldn't say the same for the BMW parked beside her though.

Penny pulled out onto the road and drove past the red lights. Sheldon for once didn't protest her lack of respect for the law this time as it was deserted. For now they would drive as long as they could go, depending if they would find some gasoline later on.

She drove north, stopping in some cities for Sheldon to look for gas, food and water. He would for the most part come up empty-handed but this time he had come with two packets of cigarettes. Penny looked at him confused and he stated that if they found any survivors they could exchange it for useful items.

* * *

><p>"How long do I have to keep driving?" Penny asked groggily. She was not used to driving long distances since she moved from Omaha four years ago.<p>

"We're nearly in Fort Bragg. We'll stop there for the night and continue our journey in the morning."

Penny looked at Sheldon. "I hope we'll be switching places tomorrow."

"You know I don't drive Penny."

"You've driven a few times and you're gonna have to. I'm not used to this; you don't have a choice unless you want me to fall asleep at the wheel."

He groaned. "Fine. I accept your argument."

They drove into the city and it was unsurprisingly completely deserted. Penny pulled over to the nearest gas station and Sheldon got out to pump whatever gasoline might be left into the car. Luck was on their side and he filled up the tank. He walked into the station and dug trying to find anything of use. A few chocolate bars were under the register and completely sealed (he double checked) and an empty gas canister.

Sheldon tried to fill up the canister completely but only managed a little over half before the pumps were completely empty. Placing the canister in the trunk and handing Penny a Musketeer chocolate bar they kept on driving.

"Alright, hopefully one of these houses will be zombie-free." He said, pointing to the houses near the beach. Sheldon had told Penny to drive as close to water as she could. He came to a hypothesis that zombies most likely wouldn't be able to swim based on the movies that he had seen and 'common sense'.

They slowly drove past houses that received considerable damage, sleeping in a house with broken doors and windows would be suicide. Finally, far down the street and very close to the ocean was a small single level house that appeared to be frozen in time. It was like by some higher power it remained unscathed to the disaster the others had been subjected to.

Getting out of the car, with weapons poised in case there was any sign of the undead. Sheldon opened the door and peaked inside; there was far more damage in the house than anticipated on the outside. Several walls contained holes and furniture was thrown all along the house; many of the items were broken. They scoured the house trying to find anything but they met up in the living room empty-handed.

"At least there are no zombies." Penny said with a relief.

"Indeed. I checked the faucets and there's no water. Since we haven't bathed in four days we might as well wash up in the ocean."

"Isn't that unsanitary though?"

"It is but at this point we don't have a choice, unless you want to smell like garbage on a hot day."

* * *

><p>The sun was beginning to set as Penny stared out into the ocean from the patio's ledge. Sheldon stood near the sliding door and watched her before turning around and getting the shampoo and body wash ready.<p>

He came up from behind her and placed the bottles in her hands along with a towel and razor.

"I couldn't find a sponge so you'll have to make do. Wash up first and I'll get started on making the fire."

* * *

><p>Penny wadded into the water so it was up to her chest and proceeded to wash her hair. She was feeling better already, and felt bad for taking such a common thing for granted. Rinsing out her hair, she then moved to another area in the water and washed up from her neck down to her toes.<p>

Sheldon ripped out a few pieces of wood from a broken night stand and pulled out a box of matches from his bag. He took the items out onto the sand and lit the leg from the table.

Looking up at the ocean he spotted Penny, her back illuminated under the moon's light. He tried to tear his eyes away out of respect but he couldn't.

"What are you doing?" He said to himself, throwing another piece of wood into the fire. Sheldon shook his head and proceeded to practice Kolinar as he had over the years but it was failing trying to take his mind off of Penny. He was a Homo Novus, above the basic desires of the rest of the population.

Sheldon tried to convince himself that due to the apocalypse, his animalistic portion of the brain was sending a message of propagation to ensure mankind's survival. He nodded to himself, knowing it was a lie. He was attracted to her from the day she moved in across the hall from them and it killed him as she dated Leonard, knowing she deserved better.

As Penny walked up to him clad in only a towel, Sheldon confirmed that he never was a good liar.

"I'm done. I'll get started on the food so go and wash up."

He nodded slowly and picked up his items as she walked into the house. Penny took out the hotdogs and pierced them on two forks that she found in the kitchen. She also found two plastic bowls and after roasting them over the fire, she evenly distributed them.

Penny took out two water bottles and placed them near the plates and placed her razor on the ledge. She watched as he swam through the water, rinsing the soap from his body. Penny imagined the thoughts running through his mind about germs if you took out the apocalypse from the equation.

His forearms effortlessly glided through the small waves and she blushed. She realized that if you took out his condescension and insults he would be the perfect guy for her. He was the only guy that she met who liked her for who she was and not for her looks.

But Sheldon wouldn't be open to having a normal relationship with a woman, he had terminated his relationship with Amy when she brought up sex for the tenth time. If she was to have sex with Sheldon she would probably break him and for good. Penny sighed as he got out of the water with the towel wrapped around his waist and his hair was disheveled. Why did he have to torment her now with his sexiness?

They sat in silence eating their hot dogs (without buns) as Sheldon scratched his chin. He hadn't shaved due to the lack of water and a mirror in the past four days.

"Is it bothering you?" Penny asked as he looked at her.

"Of course, if only I had a mirror."

She smiled, "I can shave it for you."

He shook his head. "Penny, shaving one's face is different from legs sand underarms. The skin is much more delicate and I doubt you have shaved a face before."

Penny rolled her eyes. "True I haven't. But if you don't want me to then continue to itch."

He paused for a few moments and knuckled under. "Alright but if you cut me and I get an infection-"

She laughed. "You have my word."

Penny filled her empty bowl with ocean water and started lathering his face with the soap. His eyes narrowed as she placed the razor on the sand but she ignored it.

Within no time she was done and without a single peep from Sheldon. She bent down to pick up the bowl, giving him a view of her cleavage and his eyes shot up as if he was searching for a specific constellation. He ran his hand over his face when she turned around; Penny had done an excellent job.

She dumped the bowl's contents in the sand and walked back towards him.

"I apologize for criticizing you." He said gliding his hand over his face once more. "I'm satisfied with the results."

Penny smiled. "You're welcome honey. Anytime."

They went back into the house and she changed into clean clothes after Sheldon pulled out two sleeping bags from the trunk. She climbed into the blue one and zipped up the side.

He checked the locks on the doors and windows before proceeding into the living room. It was the only area that had carpet; it would be cold and uncomfortable on the hardwood floors. Sheldon stood still looking over at Penny.

"That's my sleeping bag."

"I know."

He looked over at the red one. "Then why did you take mine?"

"This is big enough for the two of us. Besides I don't want to sleep alone."

Sheldon sighed and walked over to the red one.

"You don't want to share?" Penny asked sadly.

He rolled it and placed it back into its bag. "I found your presence soothing the first time we shared a bed so I have no objections."

"So you want to share?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" He asked as Penny moved over so he could climb in.

"Thank for being with me Sheldon."

"You're welcome Penny. Goodnight."

"Goodnight sweetie."

**Thank you for reading and please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sadly I don't own The Big Bang Theory**

Chapter 5

Sheldon drove them up to Oregon when Penny realized that he had abandoned his 'both-hands-on-the-wheel' rule. She smiled and turned to look out the passenger window. So far they haven't encountered any living or undead with both relieved and worried them. Hopefully there were still survivors in Canada.

The battery powered radio was useless and so was the one in the car. On every frequency there was a recorded monotone man's voice that kept repeating the same phrase: 'All survivors should proceed up North. Do not interact with the undead and all infected should be left behind or immediately killed. Destroy the brain to ensure they are permanently dead'.

Penny thought back to their conversation on the third day after Leonard's second death. Sheldon had placed one of the handguns on the coffee table and one in her hands.

"I presume you have experience in firing a real weapon being raised in Nebraska?" He asked as if asking what she wanted for dinner.

"I do, but I hunted animals with my father and brother, not people." She replied looking at the gun, the weight familiar in her grasp.

"Penny this is about survival. The infected are not humans anymore but creatures hungry for flesh." Sheldon's stare held her eyes to assure her it was alright.

"But they still look human to me..."

"I understand. I will not force you to fire your weapon until you are ready."

She turned to look at Sheldon; his eyes were fixed to the road as the man in the radio kept repeating the same message. Penny reached over to the radio and turned it off.

"Why did you do that?" He asked still staring at the road.

"I'm tired of listening to him repeat the same thing over and over."Penny answered.

"But what if there might be a new message? We could miss an important piece of information."

"He's been saying the same thing for a week, aren't you tired of it?"

Sheldon sighed. "I suppose."

* * *

><p>"Look, there's someone on the side of the road!" Penny exclaimed as they drove toward her. She appeared injured, dragging her leg behind her. "Pull over, we should help her!"<p>

Sheldon reluctantly slowed down and pulled over as she approached their car. Penny rolled down the window. She was covered in dirt and her skin was an odd tone.

"Please help me." She choked out. "I need some food. I feel dizzy and weak and as if my body is on fire."

Her eyes were cloudy as she leaned into their car and cried out in pain. Sheldon's eyes widened as the wind blew her red hair away from her neck, revealing dried blood.

"Penny, roll up the window. We're leaving." He said quietly.

"What? We can't just leave her."

The woman turned her head away and coughed viciously.

"We can and we will. She's infected and it looks like it was a while ago. There's nothing we can do."

Penny looked at him in disbelief and turned to look at the woman who was now sniffing her arm. Her lips had paled as her grip tightened and Penny couldn't pull away as woman growled like an animal.

Sheldon hit the gas as Penny pushed the woman's head away from her arm and watched as her nails dug into her arm. Penny screamed as Sheldon accelerated and the woman lost her grip, tumbling behind their car. He looked in the rear-view mirror and saw her get up in the distance.

Sheldon's eyes darted back to Penny. She was clutching her arm, it was slightly bleeding.

"Oh God! I don't want to be like her!" Penny cried hysterically as Sheldon pulled over as soon as he felt they were a safe distance from the zombie.

"Penny, she didn't bite you. You'll be alright." He said in a calm voice, opening the glove compartment. Sheldon took out a three bandages and Polysporin as Penny took a napkin to wipe the blood.

"But it hurts like hell! Are you sure?"

"Have I ever been wrong?"

She threw the napkin out the window as Sheldon finished putting on the last bandage.

"No you haven't." She replied. "Thanks to my trusting nature we almost got killed."

"I'd rather not see it that way." Sheldon replied, pulling out onto the highway again. "Thanks to your foolishness we now have a grasp of the symptoms that one experiences when bitten. She felt weak, dizzy, possibly had a high temperature which caused her pain and of course her slightly grayish skin tone. The skin tone turns darker after a period of time; fascinating…"

Penny glared at him but nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>"Do you see anything?"<p>

"Um yeah, trees."

He stared at her. "Obviously, we're in a forest. I'm talking about shelter for the night. We should be in close proximity to Tacoma, Washington and should drive there in the morning granted we don't come across anymore destroyed road signs..."

He maneuvered the car to the left past a few broken trees when Penny told him to stop. She stuck her head out of the window.

"There!" She pointed up towards the hill where a small cabin was perched up on it. Dense trees surrounded it creating extra protection.

"Acceptable. And it appears to be in excellent condition than the houses we passed by earlier in what was left of the downtown area."

They climbed up the hill and walked up to the door. It was locked.

"Drat. We need to find another place."

"Maybe not. Hold on, there might be another way in." Penny said and walked to the side.

"I doubt it." Sheldon replied as she disappeared behind the cabin.

He stood outside and heard thump with a few curse words and a chain rattling before the front door opened, revealing Penny.

"See told ya." She gushed as Sheldon shook his head.

"Honestly, were you a thief in a previous life?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh really? How did you get into that ball pit years ago?"

He glared at her and walked inside. It was pitch black except for the small window near the ceiling that brought some light to the room.

"Did you fit through that small opening?" Sheldon asked, pointing up to it.

"Yup." Penny replied, popping the 'p'.

"Impressive. I believe you have found a new profession."

She punched his arm playfully and laughed.

* * *

><p>Penny sat in silence when she heard a loud bang outside the cabin. She took the gun and moved toward the door, opening it slightly. Poking her head outside, she noticed that there was nothing there. Penny stepped out and closed the door behind her, walking down the hill toward the car until it was in sight. Nothing there either.<p>

She turned around and spotted two zombies coming from behind the cabin and running towards her. Penny's eyes widened as she bolted toward the car and hid behind it, aiming her weapon at the nearest one. Her hands shook as the two women descended closer to her and shut her eyes to avoid the gaze the zombie was giving her. Penny pulled the trigger and the bullet shot through the woman's head, exiting and hitting the other one in the shoulder.

Her eyes shot open as the other zombie growled in pain and staggered closer to her. They were nearly face to face as Penny pulled the trigger again and watched the woman fall to the ground in a bloody mess.

She shook in fright as the gun fell out of her hand.

* * *

><p>Sheldon walked with some twigs and branches in his hands as the cabin came into view in the fog in the distance. He walked closer and saw a figure perched on the hood of the car. Sheldon walked faster and realized it was Penny.<p>

She turned around when she heard footsteps and pointed the gun at him. His eyes widened as she lowered it and placed it beside her, taking a drag of her cigarette. Penny wiped the tears from her eyes as Sheldon noticed light splatters of blood on her clothing.

"What happened? Are you injured?" He asked in a panic as Penny threw the butt to the ground, shaking her head.

"Great but why are you smoking?" Sheldon asked concerned as she took out another one, shaking slightly. "Penny, as far as I know you don't smoke and the amount of chemicals in one is-"

She sobbed cutting off his lesson. "I-I killed two of them…I needed to calm myself down and there's no alcohol."

Sheldon looked around, there was nothing in sight. "Penny there are no zombies on the ground."

"Behind the car." She replied, her voice quivering.

He walked around the car and spotted both of the women in a bloody pool. Penny took out a match and struck it, lighting up the cigarette in her mouth. Sheldon picked up the packet and noticed she had already smoked four.

He ripped the cigarette from her mouth and threw it to the ground, embracing her. She sobbed into his chest as Sheldon patted her on the back. "There, there. Sheldon's here. Just let it out."

**Thank you for reading and please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sadly I don't own The Big Bang Theory**

Chapter 6

"Do you think the virus could have spread overseas by now?" Penny asked huddled in front of the fireplace beside Sheldon. It was a single room cabin with a small fireplace and besides that it was completely empty.

Leave it to Sheldon to be prepared and even bring a small rug to avoid sitting on the cold hard floor.

"It is plausible but I have my doubts." He said convincingly staring into the fire. "All the passengers would have been checked before boarding any aircraft."

Penny looked over at him as the fire illuminated his face. She was thankful that Sheldon cared enough to include her in his survival plan.

"Sheldon?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for including me in your plan. If it wasn't for you I would probably be dead or already a zombie."

"Of course you would. That's precisely why I included you. If something were to happen to you my life would have been in distress."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Of course." He replied his gaze still focused on the fire.

Penny scooted over closer to him and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek but Sheldon moved his head, causing their lips to lock. She was surprised and panicked that she had crossed a line. Penny tried to break the kiss but he followed her and tangled his hand in her hair. She closed her eyes and deepened the kiss as Sheldon adapted to her technique. There was no denying the fact that he was a novice but as the seconds ticked by she realized that he learned at an impossible rate. They then pulled back and parted for air, breathing heavily as they looked at each other.

Oh she was so getting a strike for this. Penny looked at his eyes and noticed they had darkened with arousal. 'So much for the Homo Novus act.' She thought as his expression mirrored her own, uncertainty.

He licked his lips as Penny inched closer to him, wanting to taste him again. She thought he might run away but instead cupped her cheek and initiated another make-out session.

* * *

><p>Penny's head lay on his bare chest as she began to stir. She opened her eyes and saw his arm protectively wrapped around her. Penny smiled and tried to sit up but with slight difficulty; she was worn out by Sheldon Cooper of all people. He opened his eyes just then and sat up as well, rubbing them.<p>

"Penny, given the events of last night I believe a shift to our relationship paradigm is in order."

Penny nodded. "Good morning to you too sweetie."

They got dressed and walked out of the cabin toward their car. Penny walked over to the driver's side when Sheldon stopped her.

"It's alright; I will drive." Sheldon offered earning a look from Penny.

"Alright. I thought you didn't like driving."

"Correct but I've grown to enjoy it. One can also see you're worn out and I'm not up to fiery peril when we've already come this far."

Penny rolled her eyes. Still the same wack-a-doodle.

* * *

><p>They were getting close to the Canadian border and the number of zombies had increased. A few of them were the mutated ones that Sheldon had encountered back in Pasadena and Penny at the cabin that could run for a good distance before tripping over their own feet. Although they had yet to encounter any living non-infected humans they were optimistic, even though they were running low on fuel.<p>

Luckily they made it to Blaine, Washington before the gas gauge read empty but it was a 45 minute walk to the border. Penny groaned, taking her gas canister to all six pumps.

"Dry like a desert." She said sadly as Sheldon came back with a Coffee Crisp.

"This is all I could find. We still have four bottles of water left, beef jerky from Fort Bragg, your bottle of rum and two packets of cigarettes."

"Better than nothing. Wait, you had my rum all this time?" Penny asked as Sheldon looked away. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I preferred if you weren't inebriated in the event zombies might descend on us. I figured you would appreciate the gesture to save it as a celebration of surviving this apocalypse while we reach permanent safety." He said as she dropped the canister on the ground and agreed with him.

Sheldon handed her half of the chocolate bar. This was as close to coffee that she could get and she would savor it.

They trekked back onto the highway on foot. He suggested it would be better in terms of avoiding getting lost and cornered by a mob of zombies in a city.

Finally they spotted the border from a distance. "Thank God my feet are killing me." Penny said getting strength back in her voice.

Sheldon adjusted the backpack on his shoulders as a shot rang out in front of his feet, causing them both to jump.

"Identify yourself!" A voice boomed from the speakers.

Sheldon put his hands up and Penny did the same.

"I'm Sheldon Lee Cooper and this is Penny Marie Price." He answered.

"Have you been infected?"

"No." Penny replied as a soldier stepped out and pointed his shot gun at them.

"Where have you come from? I doubt you have managed to survive on luck alone in this hell."

The dark haired man asked, his hazel eyes darting between the two them.

"We have traveled from Pasadena, California and just now we've run out of fuel in Blaine resulting in us arriving here on foot."

"Have you encountered any undead?" He asked Sheldon.

"Briefly and we drove past others effortlessly as well. We encountered a survivor a few miles back but she was infected and transformed in front of our eyes."

The man lowered his shotgun and they put their hands down.

"Where are the rest of the people? Is there some sort of safe location the government has set up?" Sheldon asked suspiciously.

"You're the 100th person to have made it safely into Canada from the US."

Penny gasped in shock as he continued.

"There is a base for survivors in Alaska but the next flight doesn't leave until tomorrow."

"How many survivors are there?" Penny asked.

The man's face darkened. "500,000."

"That's alarming! This is for all of Canada and the US?" Sheldon asked fearfully.

"I'm afraid not. This also includes South America." He answered."Unfortunately we don't have a means of communication with Europe and Asia yet so in regards to the planet only God knows."

Penny clasped her hand over her mouth as the man continued. "All that we know is several planes left Pasadena for Europe with the infected as well as Asia. We have some recordings from the flights but based on the contents our guesses are all we can go on."

* * *

><p>They sat next to each other on the plane along with the dark haired soldier with his 10 comrades. Sheldon held her hand and their fingers entwined as Penny kissed him on the cheek.<p>

"Please fasten your seat belts. We will now be landing in Alaska, a house or apartment will be provided for you as well as essentials." The male voice spoke from the speakers.

Penny placed her head on his shoulder. They had survived and were ready to begin their life together anew as they stared out the window.

**Thank you for reading and please review!**


End file.
